


Treat!

by sketzocase



Category: All New Wolverine, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Halloween Costumes, Halloween!, Jonathan stays at home, One Shot, Short One Shot, Trick or Treating, fluff!, sniktfam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 07:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16488353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sketzocase/pseuds/sketzocase
Summary: Daken reluctantly takes Gabby trick-or-treating.





	Treat!

**Author's Note:**

> Happy late Halloween! 
> 
> This has some slight anti mutant bigotry but is handled in a most Daken like fashion. 
> 
> This is just a little idea that popped into my head for some fluff. Hope you enjoy!

“I just don’t get the point of it,” I say dryly, adjusting my jacket.

There are so many things you could spend tonight doing. _This_? This _isn't_ how I saw spending mine.

“Well, she does,” Laura says pointedly. “And I’m too busy.”

“And I’m not?” I scoff.

Laura raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, Daken. What are your plans for tonight?”

I freeze. “None that I can think of at the moment but-”

“Good, then you’re free.” Laura smiles a smile that is very close to our life givers.

“I just don’t-”

“I’m ready!” Gabby comes into the living room dressed in a small Wolverine costume.

“You’re Logan?” I scoff. “That’s what you want to be?”

“No.” She says. “I’m Laura.”

“Ah.”

She’s carrying a large garbage bag with her.

“And that is…?”

“For the candy!” She smiles.

“Maybe try something a little smaller.” Laura says ‘helpfully’. “Like a pillowcase.”

“A pillowcase will not hold the bounty this awesome costume is going to get me!” Gabby says excitedly.

I share a look with Laura who mouths “Go with it”.

“Fine.” I huff. “Gabby you have an hour. Then we’re coming back- got it?”

She nods. “What are you going to be?”

“Be?”

“Your costume!” She says.

“I don’t wear costumes.” I sneer.

Gabby goes back into her bedroom.

“You can’t humor her- just for today?” Laura growls.

“I’m taking her out- aren’t I? What else do you want me to do??”

“Play along,” Laura says. “She’s never been before and she wants to go. Think of all the childhood things _we_ missed out on. Do you really want that for her?”

I’m silent for a long minute. “No,” I say begrudgingly.

“Good then-”

“Here you go!” Gabby comes back into the living room holding a sheet- a pink floral print sheet with two holes messily cut into it.

“.. what is it?” I ask, taking the sheet from her.

“You’re a ghost!” She says with a grin.

Laura smiles. “You’re a ghost.” She repeats. “See? Problem solved.”

“Ghost’s don’t have floral print,” I say in disdain.

“Yea, well you’re a last-minute ghost on a budget,” Gabby says. “Let’s go!” She takes her garbage bag in one hand and grabs my hand with her other, pulling on me. “Put your costume on!” She says as we leave.

“Have fun!” Laura calls from the doorway of her apartment.

“Have fun,” I grumble. “Yea right.”

“Costume,” Gabby growls, letting go and tapping her blue boot on the floor.

“Can’t I just go as me?” I ask.

“Nope. The point of Halloween is to go as _someone else_ ,” she says. “See?” She spins in a small circle, showing off a miniature version of Laura’s yellow and blue costume. The boots are correct and big- I’m guessing they’re actually a pair from the original costume, and the mask is a little big as well.

“And you’ll only be happy if I put the sheet on,” I say flatly.

“Sheet or no deal.” She says with a nod.

“Fine.” I huff, putting the sheet over my head and feeling like an idiot. “Happy? I’m a ghost.”

“So happy!” She grins. “Let’s go!”

It’s hard to see through this sheet. I quickly adjust the eyeholes and pray to god that no one I know sees me.

I don’t get embarrassed often- but this is enough to make my face at least a little red.

We make our way out into the busy street filled with small children. Ghosts, goblins, a wide assortment of spider-men for some reason or another- all loud as fuck, all laughing.

Gabby’s grin widens.

“Look at all the kids!”

“Joy.” I grouse.

She leads us to the first house on the block- past the apartment complex.

It’s a small house with a small black fence surrounding the property. The fence is gated, but the gate is open and the porch light is on. Meaning that this is indeed ‘playing’ this year.

She freezes at the gate.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I forgot what to do… this is my first time trick-or-treating.”

“Go up, ring the doorbell, beg for candy,” I say. “It’s simple.”

She’s still hesitating. “Will you come up with me?” She asks.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you can do this by yourself. You fight super villains on a daily basis.”

A group of ‘superheroes’ goes past up to the door. Proud parents trailing behind with cups of coffee in hand having a pleasant conversation.

“See?” I point- which is difficult to do under the sheet. “Go.”

“I can’t.” She says.

“Gabby…”

“Please come with me!” She begs. “It’s a cornerstone in every kid’s life and I’m missing out!”

I inhale deeply. “Fine.”

She grins and walks past the gate. I follow behind a few feet.

She waits for the kids in front to get done before going to the door and holding her garbage bag open. “Treat!” She says happily to the old woman standing in the doorway.

“It’s 'trick-or-treat'.” I hiss.

She turns around and shrugs. “I’m taking the ‘trick’ option out of the equation. I just want treats.”

The woman in front of her chuckles. “What a lovely costume!” She says. “So real.”

“Thanks! It’s my sisters!” Gabby says proudly.

“I see.” The woman smiles. “Well, here’s your candy!” She dumps a handful of assorted sweets into the trash bag. “Have a Happy Halloween!”

“Thanks, you too!” Gabby says, grinning as she steps down the few concrete steps in front of the house and runs back to me.

“See?” I say. “Simple.”

“That was so much fun!” She says happily.

“Good. Now let’s go to the next house.”

We do about twenty more houses, seeing as we don’t tire out as usual Halloweeners do. Gabby repeating her ‘only treat’ line as she gathers a large amount of candy. After about forty-five minutes- I’m ready to turn back. While it was a chilly night to begin with, the sheet has made it hot.

“One last house.” She begs. “Pleaaassssse???”

“Fine.” I cave. “One more. But that’s it- got it?”

She nods several times.

“Good.”

The last house we go to is larger than the rest. The cars in the driveway are all nice and expensive. Gabby looks at me excitedly. “Full bars.” She says. “Gotta be full bars.”

“One way to find out.”

She nods and runs up to the doors- being greeted by an elderly man dressed as Dracula.

I stay in the driveway. After a few moments- I notice that something is wrong. Gabby hasn’t come back.

The man turns Gabby away and she walks back down the small walkway to me. “We can go now.” She says dejectedly.

“What happened?” I ask as the door is slammed.

“He doesn’t give out treats to kids dressed as mutants.” She says. “But it’s no big deal. I still have a lot of candy.”

“What?”

“He doesn’t-”

“No, I heard you,” I say. “You’re just going to back off- just like that?”

She shrugs. “I don’t want to make a scene and ruin it for the other kids.”

“No one snubs my little sister,” I say. I take the sheet off my head. “Hold this.”

“What are you going to do?” She asks fretfully, falling in line behind me as I walk up to the house and ring the doorbell. With her hidden behind me, the man answers much more pleasantly.

“Little old for trick-or-treating, aren’t you?” he says with a teasing tone.

“Oh, I’m not,” I say in faux pleasantness. “I just wanted to know why you refused to give my little sister candy when you handed it out to all the other children.”

I step to the side, showing Gabby. “Hi.” She waves.

The man’s entire body language changes. “I don’t give candy to muties.” He says defensively. “Little girl was told that. Guess hearing isn’t one of her ‘gifts’.” he makes quotations around the word.

I seethe on the inside.

Men like this ruining things for children is not my business. _Men like this ruining things for my little sister_? That is very much my business.

“It’s Halloween. Just give her the damn candy,” I say. “You’re ruining a little girls night on the account of something as silly as a costume.”

“She should have picked a costume that didn’t spread mutie propaganda.” He says stubbornly.

“You’re giving out candy to other children dressed as superheroes,” I say pointedly.

“Not to muties.” He growls. “Now get off my property.”

“She’s a little girl and you’re ruining her first Halloween. Give her the fucking candy.” I growl.

“It’s okay, Daken,” Gabby says. “Really- I’ve got enough candy. We can go home.”

“No.” I step up to the man, standing in the doorway. “You don’t have a right to pick and choose who you give candy do you bigot. Give. her. The. Candy.”

“Oh, yea? It’s my American right to refuse to give candy to anyone I want. I don’t give candy to muties- I-”

I extend the claws on my left hand, drawing his attention to them slowly as he notices. “You were saying?” I ask pleasantly.

“Take the candy,” he says, dumping the whole bowl into her garbage bag in obvious fear.

“Thank you. Have a good Halloween.” I smile, turning away from the door.

Behind us, I see the porch light turn out and hear the sound of deadbolts locking.

“Wow!” Gabby looks in her bag. “Full bars!”

I smirk.

“Thanks!” She grins.

“When it comes to bigots the best thing to do is stand your ground,” I say.

She nods. “Got it.”

“Also- violence is almost always the answer to race squabbles.”

“Laura said-”

“Laura’s been indoctrinated.” I grin. “Listen to me. I’m older.”

“Gotcha!” She says, returning to her usual ball of sunshine self.

We walk back to her apartment as the streets start to empty.

“So how much did you get?” I ask.

“Enough,” She looks her very full garbage bag, “To rot my teeth- ya know if my teeth could rot.”

“Good.” I smile.

We reach her door and she happily knocks on it.

“What are you doing?” I ask. “You live here.”

“I’ve got one last house.” She says innocently.

Laura opens the door, smiling.

“Trick or treat!” Gabby says.

 Our middle sibling reaches to a table beside the door and pulls out candy, dropping it in Gabby’s bag.

“Did you have fun?” She asks as Gabby pushes past her.

“Yep!” Gabby plops down on the floor in front of the tan couch, dropping my ‘costume’ beside her.

“Did _you_ have fun?” She asks me.

I shrug. “It could have been worse.”

Jonathan comes sniffing out of Gabby’s room, searching and finding the girl and sitting beside her as she sorts through her candy.

“Thanks.” She says. “Really.”

“It really wasn’t that big of a hassle,” I admit.

She nods. “You can go back to whatever you were going to do tonight if you want… but we’re going to watch some scary movies.”

“Ugh. American horror movies are the worst.” I smile.

“Okay then..”

“But I’ll stay around just to see how bad they’ve gotten.”

Laura smiles warmly. “If you wish.”

I nod and walk past her.

“What did you have to do tonight?” I ask curiously.

“Track down fifteen requested horror movies.” She says. “And get candy.”

“That’s why you couldn't take her??”

“Yep.” She says, closing the door behind me.

“Quick- one of you look up if chocolate is bad for Wolverines!” Gabby calls over. “Jonathan just ate a Snickers bar.”

Laura sighs. “Don’t worry-” She mumbles pulling out her phone. “I’ve got a dietary guide for zookeepers bookmarked.”

As far as Halloweens go- this is the tamest one I’ve had in several years. Usually there’s a party or three to attend. But… I’ll be uncharacteristically sentimental for a moment and admit that this is, by far, one of the most interesting ones I’ve had in awhile.

I wouldn’t do it again… but it’s definitely been… nice.


End file.
